(a) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a composite elastic member of socket safety protective cover, and more particularly, to a composite elastic member disposed at a socket safety protective cover, being capable of simultaneously providing the safety protective cover with vertical and horizontal restoring elasticity, and forming fulcrums during swinging movements of the protective cover.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
A common wall socket or an extension wire socket is generally provided with at least one set of receptacles, wherein each set of receptacles has two or three receptacles. However, several drawbacks are found after studying the aforesaid prior socket. First of all, the xe2x80x9copenxe2x80x9d socket lacks protective measures, and accidental electric shocks are repeated occurrences among children caused by curiosity. Secondly, the prior socket is an open structure as described, with conductive straps at an interior thereof mostly being conductive materials such as copper. These conductive materials are often formed with aerugo resulted from humidity for being exposed in air over long periods of time, or accumulated with dust, and hence conductive efficiencies thereof may become affected. To overcome the aforesaid shortcomings, a structure disclosed by the U.S. Pat. No. 6,537,088 is provided. Referring to FIG. 7, the structure comprises a socket housing D having a protective cover D1 capable of elastic horizontal movements; and two stopping members D2 each having an inclined plane and located at a top portion of the protective cover D1, with the two stopping members D2 blocking below receptacles D3. When pins B1 of a plug B are inserted into the receptacles D3, the inclined planes of the two stopping members D2 are simultaneously displaced to further horizontally move the entire protective cover D1, so as to conduct the plug B with conductive straps D4 by completely inserting the plug B into the receptacles D3. When an alien object C is inserted into one of the receptacles D3 as shown in FIG. 8, the alien object C imposes a downward force at one end of the protective cover D1. Leverage is formed from force received at one end of the protective cover D1, and the stopping member D2 at the other end of the protective cover D1 is lifted to block in the receptacle D3. As result, the protective cover D1 fails to displace horizontally with the protective cover D1 remaining blocked in the receptacles 3, thereby preventing potential hazards by forbidding the alien object C from coming into contact and conducting with the conductive straps D4.
However, according to the aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 6,537,088, for that the protective cover D1 is incapable of vertical movements in a downward direction, the two stopping members D2 at the protective cover D1 cannot be extended into the receptacles D3 under normal circumstances. The reason behind is that, if the stopping members D2 are extended into the receptacles D3, the protective cover D1 would fail to displace horizontally under any circumstances. Yet, suppose the stopping members D2 are located below the receptacles D3 instead of being extended into the receptacles D3 under normal circumstances, it is rather unapparent that the stopping members D2 are capable of preventing horizontal displacements of the protective cover D1 when one observes an appearance of the structure from exterior. Hence, when such products are displayed and sold, a targeted appeal as protective functions provided by the protective cover D1 is hardly made distinguishing.
To resolve the aforesaid drawbacks, it is crucial that the protective cover D1 be capable of downward displacements, horizontal sliding movements and leverage swinging movements in order to allow the protective cover D1 with the following effects:
1. Under normal circumstances, the protective cover D1 has the stopping members D2 extended into the receptacles D3.
2. When the pins B1 of the plug B are inserted into the receptacles D3, the protective cover D1 first displaces downward and followed by horizontal movements to further open up.
3. When the alien object C is inserted into any of the receptacles D3, the protective cover D1 has the other stopping member D2 not being pushed remain in the receptacle D3 using leverage swinging movements, thereby preventing horizontal sliding movements of the protective cover.
The object of the invention is to provide a composite elastic member of socket safety protective cover fulfilling the aforesaid requirements. The composite elastic member is provided with both vertical and horizontal restoring elasticity, and has leverage fulcrums, so as to simplify a structure and speed up assembly processes thereof.
The invention comprises vertical elastic plates, a horizontal elastic plate and a fixing section. A highest point of each vertical elastic plate forms a support point. The horizontal elastic plate is located at a side of the vertical plates, and has action directions perpendicular to those of the vertical elastic plates. The fixing section is located out of action ranges of the vertical elastic plates and the horizontal elastic plate, and is for fixing the entire structure to an external object.